In case you haven’t noticed the weather has been getting warmer, and of course that means it’s time to start heading to the beach. In addition to the sand, sun, and beach beauties there’s something else to check out when you’re headed to the shore, and it’s all taking place in Virginia Beach.

The city has a plan to spruce up and improve their lifeguard stands, and they’re kind of taking a page from Miami Beach. Clearly we’re not going to compare the two stretches of sand—or the cities—but we’ve got to give it to Virginia Beach for adding a little fun to the sunshine and surf.

It's alive!!! PEOPLExpress, an airline which flew from 1981-1987 and was absorbed into Continental, has re-emerged with new planes and new plans which'll make budget travelers very happy.

Ticket booking went live this afternoon, and we immediately jumped on their website (FlyPEX.com) to view airfares from their base at Newport News/Williamsburg, VA.

There's good news and bad news. The good news is that all airfares start at $76 each way, with flights beginning June 30th. The bad news is that PEOPLExpress won't simply revive their historical routes, so there'll be no international destinations in a 747 (the 1980s version of the airline also flew to London, Montreal, and Brussels). Instead, PEOPLExpress will keep operations close to home, flying all-economy Boeing 737s up and down the Northeast and Southeast.

Sure, we love all the speed and comfort of modern travel, but it didn't that way overnight. Every Thursday, we're going to take a look back at travel the way it used to be, whether that's decades or centuries ago. This is Throwback Thursday, travel edition.

The era of fast in-flight WiFi is finally here, but remnants of its predecessors in travel communication technology still lurk about mothballed corners, like boxes of old postcards.

Here we have a postcard from the late 1910s, depicting a wireless station that was the pride of Fort Myer, Virginia. The reverse doesn't skimp on the details of the $250,000 construction:

We know that there’s plenty of cider and associated apple goodness arriving this weekend in Massachusetts, but if that’s not enough there’s even more autumn awesomeness heading to Virginia in just a couple of weeks. However, instead of just dedicating a few days to their festivities the state really gets into things, as they have Cider Week Virginia that runs between November 15 and November 24—actually that’s like more than just a week, cheers!

There’s a whole website dedicated to all things cider, so you can navigate toward exactly what you need. There’s listings for events, locations, news, and—best of all—hard cider. There are cheese and cider workshops, opportunities to learn about what pairs well with what, and cider flights at the vineyard. Albemarle CiderWorks, Blue Bee Cider, Bock Rock Hard Cider, are more are all getting in on the fun, and they’re eager to share—and for you to buy—some of their seasonal selections.

There hasn’t been a lot of recent news kicking around regarding PEOPLExpress and their plans to finally hit the skies. It sounds like they’re still quite a bit away from flying to here and there, but they’re still hard at work arranging the moo-lah, planes, and people to get things moving.

Down in Newport News, Virginia there’s some cash on the way for the airline as the regional airport committee recently gave the go ahead to get the ball rolling on a $500,000 loan to help bring the new carrier to the area. This would help PEOPLExpress acquire the necessary charter services and five airplanes, and finally get the show on the road.

Ever just started crying in an airport? Until this week, we'd have answered "no"and even this week, it wasn't anything to do with our flight.

No, it was the sheer power of the blocks of the AIDS Memorial Quilt currently on display at Washington Dulles, and in particular this block, "Sewn with love by the flight attendants of Continental Airlines."

Whoa crazy airline news! Remember PEOPLExpress? Well, we don’t either—we’re a little too young—but the airline did the low-fare thing during much of the 1980s before being gobbled up by Continental Airlines. Well, PEOPLExpress is coming back, and they’re looking to start up service to and from Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport, VA. Of course we’re reminded of recent airline failures like Skybus or JetAmerica, but nonetheless we are excited to see what they’re all about.

The plan for the new PEOPLExpress is to bring back some of the fun in flying, and they’re promising “unsurpassed customer service” along with “value, integrity, and ingenuity.” They’re already touting no hidden fees or charges, and they’ll even be happy to check your luggage for free. You’ll get a seat assignment prior to boarding, and they’re going to accomplish all of this with one-way fares that could start as low as $69.

Raise your hand if you occasionally get a little nostalgic for actual film cameras and the days of tangible prints. See, that's the thing about the internet though, is we can't see you raising your hand or physically join in because while we love us some iPhoneography and DSLR fun, every so often we're still reaching for our throwback Lomography camera. And apparently so is the entire state of Virginia, since their freshest tourism endeavor involves pitting real photos from Lomo cameras against each other for chances to win all-expenses-paid, experiential trips to the state that is famously "for Lovers."

Contest

Here's the deal: the Lomographic Society has turned out a "Virginia is for Lovers" special edition of their newish 35mm La Sardina camera, and to celebrate, anyone with a Lomo camera is welcome to submit a photo to the contests to win a Virginia trip. There'll be a contest every month, starting now through December 2012, and each has a specific theme for your photo. Right now, it's "Love Surrounds: Show us the people that mean the most to you."

The much beloved Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has announced they are expanding their operations next year with a new location on the outskirts of Washington, DC, in Ashburn, VA.

The Alamo Drafthouse isn't your run-of-the-mill movie theater. They serve up gourmet food and drinks every night (there is a bar in every lobby) and host fun pop culture-themed events, like the Dazed and Confused Feast taking place tonight at their Houston location.

Construction on the 34,000 sq. foot theater in Ashburn in a planned community called One Loudoun will begin this spring, with hopes to open in the spring of 2013.

If driving through snowstorms to crowded malls isn't exactly your idea of holiday cheer, we have a better way to get into the spirit of the season. For those lucky enough to find themselves in Washington D.C. this month, take a ride down to George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate for the popular Mount Vernon by Candlelight Tour.

Each night, "Mrs. Washington" welcomes visitors for candlelit tours of the grounds, fireside Christmas caroling, hot cider and ginger cookies. The tour, which is guided by characters from the Washingtons' time, includes the first and second floors of the home authentically decorated for Christmas. Mount Vernon's modern buildings will also be open for live musical performances and shopping until 9 p.m.

The tour continues on December 11 & 12 and December 18 & 19. Adults tickets are $20 while children 11 and under get in for $14. Tickets are still available at Mount Vernon's Ford Orientation Center or at MountVernon.org.

The theme park season is starting to wind down, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Now that the roller coasters have shut things off for the season, there’s plenty of time to start planning for the next big thing. One theme park with an eye on the future is Busch Gardens Williamsburg, as they just announced that they’ll be investing some serious cash into their park over the next two years.

Beginning this year, the park is going to up the ante on its Christmas Town attraction. The holiday celebration will be focused on their idea of an Italian Christmas—we’re hoping for something a little more authentic than Olive Garden’s idea of what Italy is like. Expect decorations, golden colors, traditional fare, and a warm and fuzzy feeling during your walk back to the minivan.